INTA Blog

We are one week away from the Anticounterfeiting Conference in Hong Kong! If you have not had a chance to register yet, now is the time! As Conference Co-Chairs, Sharmini Lohadhasan and I have assembled a tremendous array of experts that will be speaking on panels throughout the two day conference.

Representatives from international brands, government officials, online platforms and others will be sharing tricks of the trade and best practices to stay ahead of the curve when fighting the counterfeiters. As Sharmini noted in an interview that was published in the INTA Bulletin, “the goal was to make sure this was not a typical conference about anticounterfeiting, but one where people get a practical view of the real life issues on the ground, at both an operational level and a policy one.” The speakers will focus on practical solutions and time tested approaches, as well and sharing information on new ideas and technologies to aid in the fight against counterfeiting.

As if that’s not reason enough to attend, we will also get the first look at the INTA/BASCAP report on the Economic Impacts of Counterfeiting and Piracy, which will be officially released at the conference. But wait, there’s more! Immediately following the conference, there will be a one day workshop on Free Trade Zones. As we know, balancing the positive economic impact of free trade zones to promote employment and attract investment with the proliferation of illicit and counterfeit products in free trade zones is an ongoing struggle. INTA has created a series of one-day workshops to provide a forum for brand owners, free trade zone authorities, government officials, and other key stakeholders to share their concerns, best practices, and to work together toward solutions to combat the ongoing threat of counterfeiting in free trade zones. These workshops will be held several times throughout the year in different regions and the first one will be in Hong Kong immediately following the Anticounterfeiting Conference. Yet another great reason to make the trip to Hong Kong.

And what am I most excited about (other than the excellent programming)? The food, of course! Hong Kong is home to some of the finest restaurants in the world and I’m looking forward to trying out as many as I can while I am there—so come join Sharmini and I and all of our speakers as we work together in the ongoing battle against counterfeiting!